The Beast

Back when I was young, I remember reading a book at a friend's house that belonged to his father. It contained one of the strangest looking cars I'd ever seen, so much so that it stuck with me for the last 20+ years. I recently came across this car again, and it brought back a flood of fugly memories.

That car is "The Beast", a creation by John Dodd.  Looking like the combination of the Family Truckster, a Rolls-Royce Carmargue and possibly some sort of Shooting Brake version of a late '70s Camaro, this 19 foot monster hid a very large secret - a 27 Litre Rolls-Royce Merlin airplane engine.

It originally sported a Rolls-Royce grille (pictured above in a 3D represenation), but now sports the stylized "JD" seen below after legal threats from Rolls-Royce. 

Regardless of how it looks however, the fact that it even exists and works is impressive.  Follow these links for first hand accounts of driving the monster:

http://www.evo.co.uk/features/features/228789/the_beast.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxMxFE37Sxw

*EDIT* - here's a bonus pic of the original body, which was destroyed in a fire. Carries a similar Rolls-Royce air, but in a body that looks like a stretched Capri.